A Tradition Unlike Any Other

"Hello Friends". With those words, spoken in a syrupy baritone, Jim Nantz will kick off CBS's coverage of The Masters..."a tradition, unlike any other." If you are a golf fan, you will understand how I know that those will be the words spoken by Jim Nantz. If you aren't, well, you may know them anyway. He says it every year without fail.

The Masters is probably my favorite golf tournament to watch. I know all the complaints: "It's a snobby event", "They don't have the best field", "They pipe in bird noises to make it seem more serene", "it's so stale", "why do the call the fans, patrons", "CBS is afraid of The Masters" and on and on and on. Yes, there are a lot of problems that one could find with The Masters. I wish they would let CBS cover the event like they cover all other golf tournaments. CBS has the best golf team, and we lose that this week...Gary McCord isn't allowed on the premises and David Feherty has to tone down his act, which is unfortunate.

However, all these faults don't stop one thing...great golf. Augusta National is easily the most recognizable golf course in the world. They've been playing The Masters at the same course since 1934. If you are a golf fan, you know all the holes and you know some of the history and that builds the drama as they head to the back nine on Sunday. Adding even more to the mix...top players typically do very well in this event, with Tiger Woods holding 4 titles and Phil Mickelson holding 2. Even local favorite Zach Johnson got his name in the record books in 2007, winning his first major.

Yes, there are problems with the Masters, but I'll be tuned in Sunday afternoon, just the same...hanging on every syrupy syllable uttered by Jim Nantz, hoping for a great event and a worthy champion. I love Masters week.